rachel @ typed truths

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse.

Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow’s past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she’s willing to go to help a stranger.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Rape of a child by foster parent described
PTSD
Self-harm
Abortion
Cancer
Kidnapping

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. When he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Attempted forced abortion
Stockholm Syndrome
Kidnapping & captivity

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

To find the truth, you’ve got to be willing to hear it. When she’s modeling, Annabel is the picture of perfection. But her real life is far from perfect.

Fortunately, she’s got Owen. He’s intense, music-obsessed, and dedicated to always telling the truth. And most of all, he’s determined to make Annabel happy…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Victim blaming
Sexual assault
Eating disorder (anorexia nervosa)

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The shocking thing about the girls was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters’ breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Depression
Suicide
Self-harm

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.

Assume nothing.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Teacher-student relationship
Martial rape
Domestic abuse (on-page)
Cheating
Panic attack
Nightmares
Claustrophobia
Attempted suicide (on-page)
Suicidal ideation
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Drug abuse
Abortion recounted
Miscarriage mentioned
Infertility & pregnancy discussed
Physical injuries, including vision loss
Emesis
Cancer recounted
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a mother & father recounted
Strangulation
Drowning recounted
Stalking
Car accident mentioned
Death of a pet mentioned

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and he works on Wall Street, he is handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. Taking us to head-on collision with America’s greatest dream—and its worst nightmare—American Psycho is bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognise but do not wish to confront.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Homomisia
Misogyny
Psychosis
Graphic rape
Murder

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive and she is artist on the brink of an exciting career. They are settling into the routine of their life together, when they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Homomisia
Slut-shaming
Rape & statutory rape
Abortion
Cancer mentioned
Grief & loss depiction
Incarceration

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship–the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Homomisia
Hate crimes
PTSD
Depression
Nightmares
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Car accident
Incarceration
Animal death

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Chaos and destruction overwhelm the Nephilim as Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. Nothing in this world can defeat Sebastian—but if they journey to the realm of demons, they just might have a chance…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism & ableist language
Homomisia & queermisia
Racism
Hate crimes
Attempted rape & sexual assault recounted
Incest
Child abuse & neglect
Parental abandonment
Intimate partner violence recounted
Cheating recounted
Nightmares
Suicide, self-sacrifice & attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Self-inflicted injuries
Alcohol consumption
Nonconsensual drugging
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a child
Death of a friend
Death of a brother & sister
Death of a mother & father
Death of a husband & wife
Murder & attempted murder
Knife violence & stabbing
Torture
Kidnapping & captivity
Blackmail
Exile
Drowning
Fire
Whipping recounted
Disappearance of a loved one
War themes including graphic battle scenes

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Okonowo is the greatest warrior alive. His fame has spread like a bushfire in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men of his clan.

But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone – even if the only way he can master his feelings is with his fists. When outsiders threaten the traditions of his clan, Okonowo takes violent action. Will the great man’s dangerous pride eventually destroy him?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Misogyny
Religious persecution
Suicide
Colonialism